William McInnes

Early life

McInnes was born in Redcliffe, Queensland. He studied drama at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and graduated in 1988. He was made a fellow of the academy in 2010. He also has a degree and honorary doctorate from Central Queensland University in Rockhampton.

Television

After a recurring role in A Country Practice in 1990, McInnes appeared in series such as Bligh, Ocean Girl, Good Vibrations and Snowy before making his name as Senior Constable Nick Schultz on Blue Heelers in 1993. McInnes starred on the show until 1998, when he left to focus on other work. In 1999, he joined the cast of SeaChange as Max Connors, the new love interest of the main character Laura Gibson (Sigrid Thornton) after Diver Dan (David Wenham) left the series.

In 2002, McInnes was part of the cast of Marshall Law, which was cancelled after one season; and he returned for several episodes of Blue Heelers in 2004 and 2005. He also had a recurring role as Rosie's sleazy ex Colin in 2003's CrashBurn; and a noted comic turn as Sandy Freckle in two episodes of Kath & Kim, under the pseudonym "Rock Hampton". In 2006 he completed the telemovie Stepfather of the Bride.

McInnes was the first guest host of Let Loose Live on 29 May 2005; the show was axed by the Seven Network after just two weeks. He also appeared as himself on Micallef Tonight on the Nine Network but it was also quickly axed. McInnes lent his voice for the Nine Network factual series The Code: Crime and Justice also known as Crime and Justice. He is sometimes credited as "Rock Hampton" (e.g. in Kath & Kim and the 2005 film You and Your Stupid Mate), as a nod to his university time spent in the city of the same name. In 2007 he played the title role in the telemovie Curtin.

In late 2007, he had the lead role in SBS's East West 101. In 2008, he also appeared in Network Ten's telemovie The Informant.

Film

Early film roles include My Brother Jack (2001), Do Or Die (2001), Dirty Deeds (2002) and the TV Movie The Shark Net (2003).

McInnes featured in the lead role in Look Both Ways (2005), directed by his wife Sarah Watt. Subsequent film roles include in 2006 Irresistible, with Susan Sarandon, and Kokoda, the lead role in the romantic drama Unfinished Sky in 2007, and in 2009 Prime Mover, featuring Andrew S. Gilbert, Ben Mendelsohn and Anthony Hayes, and Sarah Watt's follow-up film My Year Without Sex.

Radio

In December 2016, McInnes hosted Summer Afternoons across ABC Local Radio.

Writing

McInnes released his first book A Man's Got to Have a Hobby on 1 August 2005. His second book Cricket Kings was released in 2006 and his third, That'd Be Right, in August 2008. His fourth book, The Making of Modern Australia, was released in 2010; it was accompanied by a television documentary series of the same name on the ABC that McInnes narrated. In 2011 he released his fifth book, Worse Things Happen at Sea, co-written by his wife Sarah Watt. In 2014 he released another book, `Holidays', a collection of stories loosely based around his and other people's holidays. He wrote a regular column called "William Tells" for The Australian Women's Weekly.

Other

On 16 February 2009, John Faulkner, then Special Minister of State and Cabinet Secretary, appointed McInnes as the new chair of the Advisory Council of the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. McInnes has spoken in many of his media appearances about the museum and its work and the importance of democratic values and civics education. He succeeded Doug Anthony as chair of the council.

Awards

McInnes has won, and been nominated for, several awards including:

Won

Nominated

In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, William McInnes was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for his role as an "Influential Artists".

Personal life

He was married to the film actor and director Sarah Watt. They had two children. Sarah Watt died of cancer in 2011.